Imagine never touching the earth, feeling the sun or being able to run and play.

In the Middle East, private ownership of lions is a growing and alarming concern. Too many young lions are born into concrete cages, far from the lives they were meant to live.

Heart of the Wild has learned of the latest, but not the only, examples of this issue.  We were asked to assist in the rehoming of three four-month-old African lion cubs – one male and two females.

Their current housing can only be defined as subpar…concrete floors, walls enclosed with rusted wire and metal bars leaving them to huddle together – in a dusty, barren enclosure, with no shelter, no hiding places – with nothing but one another for comfort against the constant human gaze.

These cubs were born at a private “zoo” in Syria. They were ripped away from their mother at an early age causing distress to both the mother and her precious cubs. Their mother, part of a pride intended for relocation to a sanctuary in the United States, (but it has not happened) was never meant to become pregnant. But a perfect storm of mismanagement, staff shortages, and airport closures caused by ongoing conflicts in Syria and Lebanon left her, her pride, and several other exotic animals — including a tiger, a jaguar, and a bear — stranded at the zoo for over a year.

Without proper care or space, nature took its course. Now, thanks to the tireless intervention of Jason Meir and his NGO, Animals Lebanon, these three little cubs finally have a chance at a future – at Isindile Sanctuary in South Africa, where they can grow, play, and live in a natural, secure environment.

The cubs were never given a name. We are calling them Amani, Moyo and Huru – which means Peace, Heart and Freedom in Swahili.

Heart of the Wild is stepping up to support this rescue! Without financial support – these three lions are sentenced to a life of misery and ill health.